We appreciate the enormous support that our ABestWeb community has experienced over the many years it has served its members and sponsors. We have decided to exit this business and have placed the property up for sale and we are actively entertaining interest.

In the meantime, community members will be able to read but not post to ABestWeb beginning on Jan. 18.

We want to thank you for your numerous contributions and your ongoing support. If you have any questions, please let us know.

I have given this thought and I think this could work for next years rugby world cup in England.

I want to create an affiliate website regarding this event. I want to have other information regarding venues, teams, fixtures and results. Then the affiliate marketing part I want to have links to ticket selling websites if people want to buy tickets for the games, or maybe buy tickets for other events like theater productions. I also want to have accommodation on the website with links to booking sites. Then I want to have other affiliate links on my website. So basically I won't be selling anything, I just want to point people in the right direction.

Is something like this legal for a rugby world cup event? I just want to stay on the legal side of things, I don't want to break any trademark rules.

Am I allowed to use the words rugby world cup 2015, world cup 2015, etc? Am I allowed to have these words in my url? This is part of my SEO, people are going to search for rugby world cup 2015 and other combinations of these words. Am I allowed to have the world cup logo on my website?

I have given this thought and I think this could work for next years rugby world cup in England.

I want to create an affiliate website regarding this event. I want to have other information regarding venues, teams, fixtures and results. Then the affiliate marketing part I want to have links to ticket selling websites if people want to buy tickets for the games, or maybe buy tickets for other events like theater productions. I also want to have accommodation on the website with links to booking sites. Then I want to have other affiliate links on my website. So basically I won't be selling anything, I just want to point people in the right direction.

Is something like this legal for a rugby world cup event? I just want to stay on the legal side of things, I don't want to break any trademark rules.

Regards
Brendan
South Africa

All good.

Am I allowed to use the words rugby world cup 2015, world cup 2015, etc? Am I allowed to have these words in my url? This is part of my SEO, people are going to search for rugby world cup 2015 and other combinations of these words. Am I allowed to have the world cup logo on my website?

Not so good. Logo is not permitted without the permission of the organisers but a simple image of say, a Rugby Ball is fine. The words "World Cup" are trademarked so again permission from the governing body is needed. For paid search no problem on "Buy Rugby World Cup Tickets" "Book Your Rugby World Cup Hotel".

The url may not contain trademarked terms. So domains that are acceptable like for example rugbyhotels.co.uk is available but the .com is parked. Equally RugbyTickets.London is also available, the other TLD's already taken.

I assume the Rugby World Cup will be at Twickenham? If so the rugbytickets.london may be worth getting if also planning a big social media drive to get the domain recognised.

For example, here is a list of protected terms that are restricted from use in domains, creative, etc. without licensing/written permission when it comes to commercial ventures (like affiliate marketing)

I don't know if Rugby is nearly as tight, but we have to deal with this at Fanatics with all major sports championship events.

It's great that you're asking these questions by the way. Always better to do your research and even consult with an attorney with experience in trademark law that can read guidelines like this and give you some good advice than to go afoul of them and get some Cease and Desist orders or worse.